Crafting station upgrades raise the level of each station in Valheim, and that level decides which recipes you can make and how far you can upgrade your gear. Every upgrade is a separate structure you build and place next to the base station, and each one demands a specific mix of materials pulled from across the ten biomes.
Quick answer: Craft each upgrade piece from the tables below, then place it within two meters of its parent station so the game draws a connecting line of light. Once linked, the station level rises and unlocks the higher-tier recipes and gear upgrades tied to that level.
How station upgrades work
Upgrades do not go into a menu. You build them as physical pieces near the station using the hammer, and each one must have its own clear connection path back to the crafting table. That path shows as a dotted line of light in the build menu, so avoid lining pieces up on one side where they block each other. Upgrades can sit on the other side of walls and floors as long as the link holds.
Duplicate upgrades do not stack, so building two of the same piece gives no extra level. The station itself still needs a roof and roughly 70% cover to allow crafting and repairs. You will know an upgrade worked when the station level shown in its crafting window goes up and new recipes or higher upgrade tiers appear.
Workbench upgrades
The Workbench is your first station and stays useful for the whole game. Its four upgrades carry you from Meadows gear through metal tools, using materials you gather across the early biomes.
| Upgrade | Materials |
|---|---|
| Chopping Block | 10 Wood, 10 Flint |
| Tanning Rack | 20 Leather Straps, 15 Flint, 10 Wood, 5 Deer Hide |
| Adze | 10 Firewood, 3 Bronze |
| Tool Shelf | 10 Firewood, 4 Iron, 4 Obsidian |
Forge upgrades
The Forge handles metal weapons, armor, shields, and ammunition, and it has six upgrades in total. Several later pieces require Swamp iron, so you will keep returning to the Forge as you climb through the metal tiers.
| Upgrade | Materials |
|---|---|
| Anvil | 5 Wood, 2 Bronze |
| Forge Bellows | 5 Deer Hide, 5 Wood, 4 Chain |
| Grinding Wheel | 25 Wood, 4 Sharpening Tool |
| Smith’s Anvil | 20 Iron, 5 Wood |
| Forge Cooler | 25 Firewood, 10 Copper |
| Forge Tool Track | 15 Iron, 5 Wood |
Black Forge upgrades
The Black Forge takes over from the standard Forge once you reach the Mistlands, and it produces the strongest late-game and endgame gear. Its five upgrades lean heavily on Mistlands and Ashlands materials such as Flametal, Ashwood, and Black Marble.
| Upgrade | Materials |
|---|---|
| Black Forge Cooler | 5 Copper, 5 Iron, 4 Black Marble |
| Vice | 4 Copper, 5 Iron, 2 Mechanical Spring |
| Metal Cutter | 5 Flametal, 5 Ashwood, 5 Black Marble, 4 Charred Bone |
| Smith’s Aprons | 8 Timberwood, 5 Bloodgold, 2 Moose Hide |
| Gem Cutter | 8 Ashwood, 5 Flametal, 2 Morgen Sinew, 1 Bloodstone |
Note: The Mechanical Spring for the Vice is crafted at the Artisan Table from Refined Eitr and iron, so build that station first if you want the Vice early.
Galdr Table upgrades
The Galdr Table drives Valheim’s magic crafting, covering staves and eitr gear. You can only build it in the Mistlands, and its four upgrades demand Refined Eitr along with rarer trophies and feathers.
| Upgrade | Materials |
|---|---|
| Rune Tables | 10 Refined Eitr, 10 Black Marble, 5 Yggdrasil Wood |
| Standing Loom | 10 Nornathread |
| Unfading Candle | 15 Resin, 10 Refined Eitr, 10 Black Marble, 3 Skeleton Trophy |
| Feathery Wreath | 10 Refined Eitr, 8 Celestial Feather, 3 Ashwood, 1 Asksvin Trophy |
Cauldron upgrades
The Cauldron is the center of food and mead crafting, and its six upgrades unlock better biome foods as you progress. The early pieces use common Meadows and Black Forest materials, while the later ones need Ashlands resources.
| Upgrade | Materials |
|---|---|
| Spice Rack | 5 Mushroom, 3 Dandelion, 3 Thistle, 3 Turnip, 2 Carrot |
| Butcher’s Table | 4 Corewood, 4 Finewood, 2 Ancient Bark, 2 Silver |
| Mortar and Pestle | 8 Black Marble, 6 Finewood, 4 Corewood |
| Pots and Pans | 10 Finewood, 5 Iron, 5 Copper, 5 Black Metal |
| Rolling Pins and Cutting Boards | 8 Ashwood, 6 Finewood, 4 Flametal |
| Smoker | 6 Timberwood, 5 Bloodgold |
Artisan Table upgrade
The Artisan Table has a single upgrade, the Artisan Press. It calls for a Majestic Carapace, which drops only after you beat the Queen in the Mistlands, so this is a mid-to-late game piece rather than an early one.
| Upgrade | Materials |
|---|---|
| Artisan Press | 5 Bronze, 5 Black Marble, 1 Majestic Carapace |
Because many of these pieces need materials from the harder biomes, plan upgrades around your exploration rather than trying to complete a full station in one trip. Keep the raw materials for each station stored nearby, leave open wall and floor space around every station for future pieces, and check each station’s crafting window after placing an upgrade to confirm the level went up.
